Folding machine



July 15 .11924.

F. w. HEETER ET Al.

FOLDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18, y192:2 4 Sheets-Sheet l' BYTE. H55 fr TTRNEYS F. w.' HEL-:TER ET A;

July 15 1924- FOLDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 13;, 1922 '4 sheets-sheet 2 Wl TNESSES elf momvfrs July-15 f. 1924.' 1,501,774 j F.- w. `HEL-:TER ET AL- Forum@ MACHINE" (Filed. Feb. 18 192g 4 shgetsheep s Afro/Mir Patented July 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFEicE.

FRANK W'.v HEETER AND TERRY E. HEETEB, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

FOLDING MACHINE.

Application filed February 18, 1922. Serial No. 537,658.

To @ZZ rwhom t may concern. j

Be it known that we, FRANK W. HEETER and Trani E. HEETER, citizens of the United States, and residents of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in machines for forming andfolding paper napkins or similar articles. i

The object f the invention is to provide a machine of this character which mechanically forms and folds paper napkins or the like in such a manner as to eliminate the necessity of any handling of the napkins thereby insuring a sterile and germ-proof product; which is automatic and continuous in its operation so as to be capable of quantity production on the desired scale; and which is of simple and durable construction, reliable `and safe in 'operation and easy and inexpensive to manufacture and operate.

Other objects and advantages of the inven tion reside in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention;

vFigure 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal vertical section on line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure e is an end elevational view, looking from the left of Figure 3, parts beingV omitted'for the sake of illustration;

Figure 5 is adetail view in side elevation of the forming shell and coacting plunger; Figure 6 is a detail view, in plan, of the forming shell;

Figure 7 is a detail view, in plan, of the forming plunger and associated structure;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspectivev view of the actuating means employed for the cutter mechanism;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic'view, illus-l 21 and having at its other end a wiping toe' 28 engageable with a wiping cani 29 i'iXed totrating the lines of fold ofthe napkin;

vFigures 10 and 11 are elevational views, illustrating the napkin as folded in the successive stages of the operation;

Figure 12 is a view in central transverse vertical section, showing in detail the construction of the folding rollers; and

'Figure 13 is a detail view in side eleva-tion' of one of the folding rollers illustrated in Figure 12.

Referring to the drawings wherein'for the sake of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, the nu-4 meral 10 vdesignates generally the lframe of the machine. A table 11 is mounted on the frame, and to this table the webof the paper from which the napkins are to be formed and folded is'fed.

Means is provided for feeding the `web of paper to the table 11 and includes a supply roll 12 rotatably mounted at one end of the machine. A guide plate 13 is operatively arranged with respect to the supply rolland guides the web of paper to the feed rollers 14 and 15 rotatably supported on the frame. One of the feed rollers, preferably the roller 15, is mounted in adjustable bearings desig-k nated at 16, whereby it may be adjusted toward and away from the feed roller 14. The feed rollers are rotated so as to engage and feed the web of paper from the supply roll 12 to the table 11 and for this purpose the feed roller 14 has connected thereto a gear 17 which meshes with an intermediate gear 18 from which it is driven.

Cutting mechanism is provided and is arranged between the feed rollers and the table 11 and operates to sever the napkin from 'the web of paper after the length of paper which constitutes the napkin has been fed 'to the table. This cutting mechanism preferably includes a cutter block or anvil 20 secured upon one end of the table 11 and over which the web of paper is fed. A cutter 21 is mounted above the cutter block 20'and is adapted to partake of verticalreciprocatory movement.

to effect thev cutting action. Compression gagement with the paper. A rock shaft 25 is journaled in vpedestals 26 mounted on the frame and has fined thereto -a rock arm 27' suitablyT connected at one end with the cutter rotated from the` intermediate gear 18. y The cutter 21 is thus actuated at predetermined `intervals in accordance with the movement On the downward movement of the cutter '21 it coacts with the cutter blockI of the feed rollers so that when a length of paper sufficient to constitute a napkin has been fed onto the table the cutter 2l is depressed by the rock arm 27 to sever the length constituting a napkin from the web. The napkin thus formed is deposited on the table 1l ready for the creasing and folding operation.

A forming bed 35 of hopper or funnel-like formation depends from the table l1, the table having an opening 36 coentensive with the upper end of the forming bed. The forming bed contracts toward its lower end and the bottoni or lower end thereof is provided with an elongated slot 3T entending longitudinally of the forming bed and transversely of the table l1. Creasing blades or ribs, indicated at 38 are provided on the forming bed and as shown in Figure 6 are arranged in sets of two at each end thereof and extend from the top of the bed to the slot 87 in its bottom.

A plunger, designated generally at 89 coacts with the forming bed, and comprises a crosshead Ll0 extending transversely above the table and mounted for reciprocatory movement on guide rods All upstanding at both sides of the frame. A plurality, preferably six, creasing blades or ribs 4t2, depend from the crosshead and terminate. at the lower ends in a finger 43 which constitutes an ejector. The blades 4Q may be formed by the edges of plates as shown in the drawings. The creasing blades or ribs 'Ll-2 of the plunger coact with the creasing blades or ribs 38 of the forming bed to produce or form the creases or lines of fold of lthe napkin. As shown in Figure 9, three blades or three edges of the plates making up the blades coact with each set of blades 3S, the blades 42 producing outward folds or creases along the lines d, ZJ and c which entend from. the center to each side o-f the napkin and the blades 38 producing inward folds or creases along lines (l, e which also entend from the center to each side of the napkin.

At the upper ends of the guide rods il brackets da are arranged and retractile coil springs 45 are adjustably secured at their upper ends to the brackets, as at 46, and are also secured at their lower ends to the cross head lll. These springs 45 serve to maintain the plunger in retracted position abore the table ll so that it does not interfere with the delivery of the napkins thereto.y and these springs in conjunction with mecha nism to be hereinafter described also fuuction as means for effecting a quick return of the plunger.

Then the plunger 38 descends its finger engages the napkin then lying' on the table 1l and carries the napkin with it and onto the forming bed. The ribs of the bed and of the plunger then act upon the napkin to crease or plait it thus forming the lines of fold and the finger 4:3 eventually carries a.

portion. of the napkin through the slot 3l'.

Below the forming bed a pair of folding rollers designated at 50 and 5l are arranged,

the rollers being in rota-table contact with each other and having their line of contact lyine` in the same vertical plane as the center or longitudinal airis of the slot 37 of the forming bed. The rollers 50 and 5l are oarried on shafts 52 and 53, respectively, which are arranged in bearings provided therefor in the frame 10 and project slightly beyond the frame at one side thereof. Twin gears, designated at 5a and 55 are fixed to the projecting ends of the shafts 52 and respectively, and constrain the folding .rollers to corresponding motion. As shown in Figure 2, the twin gear 54 is also nieshed with the intermediate gear 18 and serves to rotate this intermediate gear as will be presently described. Then the plunger 3S has completed its down stroke the napkin has been completely creased or plaited and the tinger 43 of the plunger has carried a portion of the napkin, preferably thel center, through the slot 37 and in between the folding rollers 50 and 5l which are provided with arcuate slots 56 and 57 in their peripheries for the purpose of accommodating the finger 43 at this time. The arcuate slots tand 57 are of identical construction and each extends for an angular distance of approximately 900 of its ro-ll and has an inclined bottom wall of varying depth, as shown in the drawings. These slots 56 and 57 accommodate the finger 4:3 of the` plunge-r and at the same time permit the folding rollers to grip the napkin carried by the finger and to draw it through the slot 37 of the bed and in between the folding rollers wherein the na kin is folded or pressed on the lines of fo d produced by the plunger and forming bed. lt is obvious that as soon as the folding rollers grip the paper or napkin the finger a3 of the plunger must at once be withdrawn from the slots 56 and 57 and for this purpose the operating mechanism for the plunger is such as to provide for a quie: return movement thereof.

This operating mechanism includes driving arms 58 iiXe-d to the ends of the shaft 53 of the roller 5l and carrying crank pins or driving pins 59 at their outer axis with. which the hooked ends 60 of swinging pitnien 6l are adapted to be intermittently and releasably engaged, the upper ends of the pitnien 61 being pivotally connected, as at 62, with the cross head l0 of the plunger and these pitinen 6l operating in guide brackets or straps 6B. As the, driving arms swing downwardly in a. clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2, their pins 59 engage the hooked ends 60 of the pitmen 61 and cause the plunger to partake of its downward stroke. Vhen this down stroke ltlll of the plunger has been completed, to complete the plaiting or creasing operation, the pins 59 ride off of the hooked ends 60 and the springs then at once effect the quick return of the plunger, the driving arms being idle during their upward movement but being again effective on their do-wnward movement to again depress the plunger and so on in continuous and successive cycles.

As the napkin passes be-tween the folding rollers and 51 it curves down under and away from the roller 50 and its free end then slides along vthe upper surface of the finishing rollers, designated at- Oa and 61a journaled in suitable hanger bearings 62a and 63a and having their axes extending at right angles to the axes of the folding rollers 50 and 51 and also being displaced longitudinally with respect to the rollers 50 and 51 so as to compensate for the curving motion of which the napkin partakes when it is delivered from the rollers 50 and 51. The free end of the napkin slides along these rollers 50 and 51 and when the napkin is entirely released from thefolding rollers 50 and 51 it drops on the finishing rollers and is redoubled by them along line f (see Figure 9). One of the finishing rollers carries a. worm wheel 65 with which a. worm gear 66 fixed to one end of a shaft 67 meshes, the opposite end of the shaft. 67 having a pinion 68 fixed thereon and meshed with a gea-r 69 of a gear train including the gear 69 and a relatively large gear 70 which is meshed with the gear 69 and also with t-he twin gear 55 from which the gea-r train receives its motion.

A drive shaft is journaled in 'suitable bearings 6 provided therefor in the frame 10 and carries a worm 77 operatively engaging the worm gear 78 fixed to the shaft 53. This drive shaft 7 5 may be driven fro-m an electric motor or any other suitable source of power and it servesv to drive the shaft 53 and consequently the twin gears 54 and 55 from whence the ,other gears of the machine are driven, it being understoodA that the twin gear 54 is fixed to the shaft 53.

In operation the web of paper travels from the supply roll 12 over the guide plate 13 and is delivered by the feed rollers 14 and 15 across the cutting block or anvil to the table 11. When a length of paper sufficient to constitute a napkin has been fed to the table 11 the cutter 21 is actuated to sever the length from the web and allow the napkin to settle or to be deposited on the table 11 and overlie the forming bed. The plunger 38 is then moved downwardly as the pins 59 of the driving arms 58 engage the hooked ends 60 of the pitman 61 at this time and move the plunger down against the tension of the springs 45. rl`he creasing blades or ribs of the plunger and of the forming bed then coact to plait or crease the napkin and produce the lines of fold therein andthe finger 48 of the plunger pushes the napkin through the deliver)7 slot 37 of the forming bed and into engagement with the folding rollers 50 and 51, the pitman 61 being then released to permit the springs 45 to effect la quick return of the plunger to inoperative position above the table and out of the way of the next length of paper then being fed thereto. The folding rollers fold the napkins on the plaits or creases produced by theplunger and forming bed and deliver it to the -nishing rollers which redouble it and complete the folded napkin. This cycle of operations is repeated in rapid succession so as to provide a continuous operation enabling a quantity production of folded napkins on any desired scale.

I claim: y A Y 1. In a machine of the character described, a table, a supply roll, feed rollers for delivering a web of paper from said supply roll to said table, a gear for driving' said feed rollers, cutting mechanism for severing the length of paper sufficient to constitute a napkin and comprising a cutter and actuating mechanism therefor including a gear, an intern'iediate gear meshing with the gear of the feed rollers and with the gear' of the actuating mechanism whereby the cutter operates in timed relation with respect to the feed rollers, a folding beddepending from the table, a forming plunger cooperable with the forming bed, folding rollers cooperatively arranged with respect to the forming bed, shafts carrying said rollers, twin gears Xed to said shafts, one of said twin gears being meshed with the intermediate gear for driving the same, operating mechanism for the plunger including a crank arm having a crank pin, a pitman connected with the plunger and having a hook end releasably and intermittently engaged with the crank andv spring means for effecting quick movement of the plunger, finishing rollers cooperatively arranged with respect to the folding rollers, gearing for driving 4said finishing rollers from said twin gears, and means for driving one of the shafts of the feed rollers whereby said twin gears and the gears driven therefrom are actuated.

2. In a machine of the character described, a table, means for feeding napkins to said table, a forming bed depending from said table and over which the'napkin on'the table lies, a forming plunger arranged above said table and cooperable with said bed, folding rollers cooperatively arranged with respectto the forming bed, means for driving said folding rollers, twin gears for constraining said rollers to corresponding motion and operating mechanism for the plunger including a crank arm fixed to one of said twin gears and having a driving pinion and a swinging pitman connected with the plunger and having a hooked end cooperable with llO the driving pin of the cranlr arm, and springs for effecting a quick return movement of the plunger,

3. In a maeline of the character described, a table, "i, suV ply roll, feeding rollers for delivei'in a web of paper from said supply roll to said table, a gear driving said feed rollers, cutting mechanism for severing a length of paper sufficient to constitute a napkin and comprising a cutter 'and actuating mechanism therefor including a gear, an intermediate gear engaging the gear of the feed roller and the gear of the actuating mechaL nism whereby the cutter operates in timed relation with respect to said feed rollers, a forn'lii'ig bed depending from the table, a forming plunger cooperable With the forming bed and folding rollers cooperatively arranged with respect to the forming' bed In a inac'lfiine of the character described, a table, a supply roll, feed rollers for feeding a `web of paper from the supply roll to the table, cutting mechanism arranged between the table and the feed rollers for severing a length of paper from the Web suiiicicnt to constitute a napkin, a forming bed depending from the table and having creasing blades, a forming plunger mounted above the table and having creasing blades cooperable With the creasing blades of the forming bed for creasing the napkin deposited on said table, and folding rollers receiving said creased napkins from said folding forming bed and folding them on said creases.

o. ln a machii'ie of the character described, a table, a sup ly roll, feed rollers for feeding a Web or paper from the supply roll to the table, cutting mechanism arranged between the table and the feed rollers for severing a length of paper from the web sui'licient to constitute a napkin, a forming bed depending from the table, a forming plimger mounted above the table and co` operable With the forming bed for creasing the napkin deposited on said table, and fold ing rollers receiving said creased napkins from said folding forming bed and folding them on said creases.

6. ln a machine of the character described, a forming bed having a delivery slot in its bottoni wall and provided with creasing blades, a plunger cooperable with said forming bed and proi'fided 'with creasing blades cooperable with the creasing blades thereof and having a finger constituting an ejector for pushing `the napkins through said delivery slot, folding rollers arranged adjacent the delivery slot and having arcuate slots provided in their peripheries for accommodating the finger of the plunger whereby the rollers are adapted to grip the napkin and carry it between them to fold. the same, and operating mechanism for the plunger including a quick return movement therefor.

7. In machine of the character described, a fo ing bed consisting of a shell of hopper .ilre form having a slot in its bottom Wall and provided with creasing blades, a plungericooperable lwith said bed and having creasing blades cooper-able With the creasing blades thereof, a linger adapted to push the napkin through 'said slot and folding rollers arranged below said slot, and adapted to receive and grip the napkin pushed tl'ieret-hrough.

53. ln a machine of the character described, a forming bed consisting of a shell of hopperdihe form having a slot in its bottom vfall and provided with creasing blades, a plunger cooperable with said bed and having' creasing blades cooperable With the creasing blades thereof, and a finger adapted to push the napkin through said slot and folding rollers arranged below said slot.

9. In. a machine of the character described, a forming bed having its delivery slot in its bottom Wall and provided with creasing blades, a plunger coopcrable with said forming bed and provided with creasing blades cooperablc 'with the creasing blades thereof and having a finger constituting ejector for pushing said napkins through said delivery slot, and folding rollers arranged adjacent the delivery 'slot and having arcuate slots provided in their peripheries for ac'- coinniodating the finger of the plunger Whe-in it projects through the creasers of the delivery slot in the forming bed 'whereby the rollers are adapted to grip the napkin and carrjtv it between them to fold the same.

l0. In a machine of the character described, a table, means for feeding napkins to said table, a forming bed depending from said table having creasing blades, a-forming plunger arranged above said table and eoop'crable with said bed and having creasing blades cooperating Wit-h the creasing blades of the bed, and folding rollers re: ceiving the creased napkins and folding them on 'said creases.

TERRY E. HEETER. FRANK lV. HEETER. 

